Tactical self-defense water bottle

ABSTRACT

A water bottle includes a bottle body, a cap and a base. The bottle body includes a wall structure extending from a bottom end to a top end. The top end includes an opening. An outer surface of the wall structure may include a plurality of finger grip recesses and at least one thumb grip recess. The cap is configured to releasably connect to the top end of the bottle body to close the opening with a fluid-tight seal. The cap has a pointed portion that provides at least one top pressure point. The base is positioned at the bottom end of the bottle body and includes at least one pointed portion that provides at least one bottom pressure point. The at least one top and at least one bottom pressure points provide self-defense features for the water bottle.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to water bottles, and more particularly relates to water bottles having self-defense features.

BACKGROUND

Water bottle designs have improved in recent years due at least in part to additional polymer and metal alloy materials available, and improvements in machining and molding techniques. Water bottle caps have been designed in recent years to include handle features and straw/spout features that provide improved functionality for water bottles. The materials used for water bottles are typically corrosion resistant in the presence of water and are required to meet stringent guidelines for carrying food suitable for human consumption.

Water bottles are used by a variety of people for many different purposes. Water bottles are often used by people in association with exercising. Many types of exercise activities are in the outdoors. Some types of activities place a person in remote, secluded, or poorly lit areas where the person is at a higher risk of coming under attack. There may be other environments where people using water bottles may be more likely come under attack. The risk of attack may be greater for females in many situations. A number of self-defense tools are available for use against would-be attackers. The likelihood of those exercising or involved in outdoor activities to carry such self-defense tools is less likely due to the weight and cumbersome nature of carrying such tools.

Opportunities exist for providing self-defense tools for those who are involved in activities where a water bottle may already be in use. Furthermore, opportunities exist for integrating self-defense tools into equipment or clothing typically used by those who are exercising or are involved in activities in which a water bottle is already in use.

SUMMARY

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a water bottle that includes a bottle body, a grasping portion, a cap and a base. The bottle body includes a wall structure extending from a bottom end to a top end. The top end includes an opening. The grasping portion is configured for holding the water bottle. The cap is configured to releasably connect to the top end of the bottle body to close the opening with a fluid-tight seal. The base is positioned at the bottom end of the bottle body. At least one of the cap and the base includes at least one pointed structure defining at least one self-defense feature of the water bottle.

The cap may have a conical shaped portion defining the at least one pointed structure. The base may include at least three pointed structures. The base may be removable from the bottle body. The base may be connected to the bottle body with a snap-fit connection. The cap and base may include a polymer material having a higher strength property than a polymer material of the bottle body. The bottle body may include at least four finger recesses and at least one thumb recess, wherein the finger recesses are positioned on an opposite side of the bottle body from the thumb recess. The cap may connect to the bottle body with a threaded connection. The base may include an edge that extends radially outward further than an outer surface of the bottle body and provides another bottom pressure point. The grasping portion may include a plurality of finger grip recesses and at least one thumb grip recess formed in an outer surface of the bottle body.

Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a water bottle weapon that includes a bottle body, a cap, and a base. The bottle body includes a liquid cavity, a bottom end, a top end, and an opening into the liquid cavity at the top end. The cap is releasable connected to the bottle body to close the opening, and includes at least one first weapon feature. The base is releasably connected to the bottom end of the bottle body and includes at least one second weapon feature.

The base may include a plurality of second weapon features. The plurality of second weapon features may support the bottle body in an upright position. The base may be removably connected to the bottle body. The cap and base may include different materials from those materials of the bottle body. The cap and base may include high strength polymer material. The water bottle weapon may include a plurality of finger grips formed in the bottle body on a first side thereof, and at least one thumb grip formed in the bottle body on a second side thereof, which is opposite the first side.

A further aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method of assembling a water bottle. The method includes providing a bottle body, a cap, and a base, wherein the bottle body includes a liquid cavity, a bottom end, a top end, and an opening into the liquid cavity at the top end. At least one of the cap and the base include at least one pointed portion. The method includes releasably connecting the cap to the top end of the bottle body to close the opening with a liquid-tight seal and connecting the base to the bottom end of the bottle body. The at least one pointed portion is exposed for contact to provide the water bottle with at least one self defense feature.

The base may be replaceable with another base that has a different number or configuration of the at least one bottom pointed portion. Connecting the base may include providing a snap-fit connection between the base and the bottle body. The method may include filling the liquid cavity before releasably connecting the cap to increase a potential impact force provided by the water bottle when used as a self-defense weapon. The method may include disconnecting the base from the bottle body to remove the at least one bottom pointed portion from the water bottle.

The foregoing and other features, utilities, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will be apparent from the following more particular description of certain embodiments as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an example water bottle in accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the water bottle of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3A is an exploded top perspective view of the water bottle of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3B is an exploded bottom perspective view of the water bottle of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the water bottle of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the water bottle of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the water bottle of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a cap of the water bottle of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the cap of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a front view of the cap of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a rear view of the cap of FIG. 7.

FIG. 11 is a top view of the cap of FIG. 7.

FIG. 12 is a bottom view of the cap of FIG. 7.

FIG. 13 is a top perspective view of a base portion of the water bottle of FIG. 1.

FIG. 14 is a front view of the base portion of FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a right side view of the base portion of FIG. 13.

FIG. 16 is a left side view of the base portion of FIG. 13.

FIG. 17 is a top view of the base portion of FIG. 13.

FIG. 18 is a bottom view of the base portion of FIG. 13.

FIG. 19 shows the water bottle of FIG. 1 arranged upright and grasped by a user's hand, and moving in an up and down motion to hit an object with the cap or base portion.

FIG. 20 shows the water bottle of FIG. 1 arranged upside down and grasped by a user's hand, and moving in an up and down motion to hit an object with the cap or base portion.

FIG. 21 shows the water bottle of FIG. 1 arranged horizontally and grasped by a user's hand, and moving in a forward jabbing motion to hit an object with the cap.

FIG. 22 shows the water bottle of FIG. 1 arranged upside down and grasped by a user's hand, and moving in a swinging motion to hit an object with the base portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure is directly generally to water bottles. More specifically, the present disclosure is directed to water bottles that include self-defense features (also referred to as pressure points, pointed feature, weapon features, or features that enhance functionality of the water bottle as a weapon). The water bottle may be referred to generally as a self-defense water bottle or a water bottle including self-defense features or features of a self-defense tool or weapon.

The water bottle may include a bottle body, a cap, and a base. The cap and base may include features that provide pressure points for hitting an object. The bottle body may include a plurality of finger and/or thumb grip features that provide improved grasping of the water bottle while using the water bottle to hit an object using either the cap or base. The cap and base may be replaceable to customize the self-defense features, appearance, and functionality of the water bottle.

The cap and base may comprise different materials having different physical properties as compared to materials of the bottle body. For example, the cap and base may comprise high-strength polymer materials, while the bottle body includes water grade polymer materials having a lower strength property. The cap may include at least one pointed feature that provides a pressure point when contacting an object being hit by the water bottle. In one example, the cap has a generally conically shape that terminates at a tip. The tip may be pointed. The cap may include a least one recess, grip portion or other feature that helps the user grasp and rotate the cap. The cap may include a plurality of pointed structures, wherein each of the pointed structures provides a pressure point. In some examples, the cap may be constructed to support the water in an upside down, vertical position.

The base may include at least one self-defense feature such as, for example, a pointed structure that defines a pressure point when contacting an object being hit by the water bottle. The base may include a plurality of pointed structures. The pointed structures may be arranged to provide a support surface for supporting the water bottle in an upright position. The pointed structures may be removable from the base, or may be integrally formed as a single piece with the remaining portions of the base. In some examples, the base has a generally conical shape that terminates in a tip. The tip of the base may be pointed.

The self-defense features of the water bottle may improve functionality of the water bottle as a non-lethal weapon. The water bottle may be configured to inflict pain when used as a weapon against a would-be attacker, but is not intended to create life-threatening injuries. The effectiveness of the water bottle to act as a weapon may be improved by filling the water bottle with water. A filled water bottle has increased weight, which may provide increased inertia and applied force when using the water bottle as a weapon.

The water bottle may be operated in a number of different directions and orientations to take advantage of the self-defense features of the water bottle. For example, the user may grasp the bottle body and hold the bottle body in a vertical orientation and apply a force in a downward direction to hit an object with the self-defense features of the base. In other arrangement, the operator rotates the water bottle upside down with the cap facing downward and the user grasps the bottle body and moves the water bottle in downward direction to hit an object with the self-defense features of the cap. In a further example, the user grasps the bottle body and orients the water bottle in a general horizontal direction with either the cap facing forward or the base facing forward, and moves the water bottle in a forward direction to hit an object in a jabbing motion. In a still further example, the user grasps the bottle body with the base facing away from the user and the user swings the water bottle like a hammer to hit an object with the self-defense features (e.g., a rim) of the base.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-6, and particularly FIGS. 3A and 3B, an example water bottle 10 is shown including a bottle body 12, a cap 14, a base 16, and a cap connector 18. The cap 14 is releasable mounted to a top end of the bottle body 12 to provide a fluid-tight seal around an opening into the bottle body. The base 16 may be mounted to a bottom end of the bottle body 12.

The cap connector 18 may couple the cap 14 to the bottle body 12 to maintain connection of the cap 14 to the bottle body 12 when the cap is released from covering the opening into the bottle body 12. The cap connector 18 may include a cap connecting portion 60 secured to cap 14, and a bottle connecting portion 62 secured to the bottle body 12. The cap and bottle connecting portions 60, 62 may have loop constructions as shown in FIG. 3.

The bottle body 12 includes top and bottom ends 20, 22, a continuous sidewall 24, a bottom wall 26, and an opening 28 providing access into a body cavity 30. The sidewall 24 and bottom wall 26 may be integrally formed as a single, continuous structure. In some arrangements, the bottom well 26 is removed and the base 16 is used to close a bottom portion of the bottle body 12 in place of the bottom wall 26.

An outer surface of the bottle body 12 may include a plurality of finger-grip recesses 32 and at least one thumb grip recess 34. The finger and thumb grip recesses 32, 34 may be positioned on opposite sides of the bottle body 12. The finger grip recesses 32 may include four separate recesses spaced along a length of the bottle body 12. The finger grip recesses 32 may have different sizes, shapes, and orientations to accommodate the fingers that may be positioned within the finger grip recesses 32.

The thumb grip recess 34 may be positioned at a location on the length of the bottle body 12. The bottle body 12 may include a plurality of thumb grip recesses 34 positioned at different positions along the length of the bottle body 12 to receive a thumb of a user when the water bottle 10 is positioned upright or upside down. The thumb grip recess 34 may have a different size and shape than the finger grip recesses 32. In some arrangements, the thumb grip recess 34 includes a similar shape and/or size as any one of the finger grip recesses 32. In some examples, the bottle body 12 may include the same number of thumb grip recesses 34 as the number of finger grip recesses 32. The thumb grip recesses 34 may have the shape, size and relative spacing as the shape, size and spacing of the finger grip recesses 32. In other examples, either one of or both of the finger grip recesses 32 or thumb grip recesses 34 may be removed completely from bottle body 12.

The water bottle 10 may include other grasping features besides or in addition to the finger-grip recesses 32 and thumb grip recess 34. For example, the water bottle 10 may include a handle or finger ring that extends from the bottle body 12, cap 14, or base 16 and is exposed for grasping by the user.

The bottle body 12 may also include a plurality of base connectors 36 (see FIG. 3). The base connectors 36 may provide connection of the base 16 to the bottle body 12. The base connectors 36 may include, for example, twist-lock, snap-fit, threaded, interference fit, or fastener-type connections for securing the base 16 to the bottle body 12.

The bottle body 12 also includes a cap connector 38, which is shown in the figures as a plurality of threads. The cap connector 38 may include other types of connection features including, for example, any of the connection features of the base connectors 36.

The bottle body 12 may include a surface texture 39 or other high friction feature along the outer surface of the sidewall 24. The surface texture 39 may provide improves grasping of the bottle body 12. The surface texture 39 may include, for example, dimples, grooves, or hemispherical protrusions.

The bottle body 12 may include a plurality of different materials. For example, the outer surface of the bottle body 12 may comprise a high friction material such as, for example, rubber or silicon. An inner layer of the bottle body 12, which defines the body cavity 30, may include metal or polymer materials such as, for example, aluminum, polycarbonate (PC), polypropylene (PP), or polyethylene terephthalite (PET).

The body cavity 30 may have a generally cylindrical shape with a constant diameter along a length of the bottle body 12. In other arrangements, the body cavity 30 may have a shape that mirrors the shape of the exterior of the bottle body 12, which may include a plurality of protrusions or recesses along a length of the body cavity 30. The body cavity 30 may have any desired volume including, for example, a volume in the range of about 4 oz. to about 40 oz. of liquid, and more preferably about 12 oz. to about 24 oz.

The cap 14 includes a distal end 40 (also referred to as a pointed end 40), a connection end 42, a body connector 44, a cap cavity 46, a cap grip 48 and cap recesses 49 (see FIGS. 7-12). The distal end 40 may have a pointed structure that defines a pressure point (also referred to as a weapon feature) at a distal tip thereof. The cap 14 may have a generally conical shape that terminates at a tip, wherein the tip is pointed. The cap grip 48 and cap recesses 49 may assist in grasping the cap 14 and applying a rotation force to the cap 14.

The connection end 42 includes the body connector 44 formed therein. The body connector 44 is shown in FIGS. 3B and 12 as a plurality of threads configured and arranged to mate with the cap connector 38 to provide a releasable connection of the cap 14 to the bottle body 12. The cap 14 may be connected to the bottle body 12 with a liquid-tight seal, which results from a mating interface between the body connector 44 with the cap connector 38.

The cap 14 may have a generally hollow construction that defines the cap cavity 46. The cap cavity 46 may provide a storage space for storing articles such as, for example, food or other personal items. The cap cavity 46 may provide a reduce weight for the cap 14, or may reduce the amount of materials used to form the cap 14.

The cap grip 48 may be positioned at the connection end 42 and exposed along an exterior of the cap 14. The cap grip 48 may include a plurality of grooves or recesses that improve gripping of the cap 14 and easier application of a rotational force for connecting or disconnecting the cap 14 relative to the bottle body 12.

The cap 14 may have many other shapes and sizes in other embodiments. For example, the cap 14 may include a plurality of pointed structures that each provide a separate pressure point. The pointed structures may be spaced apart, positioned adjacent to each other, may face in the same direction, or face in different directions. In at least one example, the pointed structures of the cap 14 are configured to support the water bottle 10 in an upside down, vertical orientation. The cap 14 may include a plurality of blunt structures, wherein each blunt structure has a shape, size and orientation that defines a pressure point when contacting an object with the cap 14.

The self-defense features of the cap 14 may have many different sizes and shapes as compared to those shown in the figures. For example, the self-defense features may have a pyramidal, trapezoidal, cubical, hemispherical or conical shape.

Referring to FIGS. 13-18, the base 16 is shown having a top recess 50, a bottom surface 52, a plurality of connector numbers 54, and a plurality pointed structures 56. The top recess 50 may be sized to receive the bottom end 22 of the bottle body 12. The connector members 54 may be made with the base connectors 36 of the bottle body 12 to provide connection of the base 16 to the bottle body 12. The connector member 54 may provide a releasable connection of the base 16 to the bottle body 12. In at least one example, the bottle body 12 is inserted into the top recess 50 and rotated to insert the connector member 54 into the base connectors 36, or vise versa. In other embodiments, a threaded connection is provided between the connector members 54 and base connectors 36 using, for example, a plurality of threads carried on each of the bottle body 12 and base 16. In still further embodiments, an interference fit maintains the base 16 connected to the bottle body 12.

In other examples, the base 16 is permanently connected to the bottle body 12 using, for example, adhesives, heat bonding, co-molding, or welding. The base 16 may be integrally formed as a single piece with the bottle body 12. Many other connection arrangements are possible for securing the base 16 to the bottle body 12. Other examples may include inserting a portion of the base 16 into a recess of the bottle body 12 as opposed to inserting a portion of the bottle body 12 into the top recess 50 of the base 16 as described above. As mentioned above, the base 16 may replace the bottom wall 26 of the bottle body 12 and provide a fluid-tight enclosure at the bottom end 22 of the bottle body 12.

The base 16 may have a greater outer peripheral dimension (e.g., a maximum outer diameter) than the maximum width dimension (e.g., a maximum outer diameter) of the bottle body 12. The increased profile of the base 16 may provide improve stability for supporting the water bottle 10 in an upright position.

The pointed structures 56 extend from the bottom surface 52 of the base 16. The pointed structures 56 provide a plurality of pressure points (also referred to as a weapon features) along a bottom end of the water bottle 10 for transferring forces from the water bottle 10 to an object being hit by base 16. The pointed structure 56 may have any desired shape and size, similar to the various shapes and sizes possible for the cap self-defense features described above. The pointed structure 56 may be spaced apart along the bottom surface 52 to provide support for the water bottle 10 in an upright position. The plurality of pointed structures 56 are shown extending away from the bottom surface 52 in a generally longitudinal direction. In other embodiments, the pointed structures 56 may be oriented in other directions and positioned along other surfaces of the base 16 rather than the bottom surface 52.

The pointed structures 56 may include a blunt tip or a pointed tip. A blunt tip may provide a desired pressure point for transferring forces from the water bottle to an object being hit. The pointed structure 56 may have various sizes and shapes such as, for example, a generally conical shape similar to the cap 14. In some arrangements, the cap 14 may have a construction similar to the base 16 shown in the figures, and the base 16 may have a construction similar to the cap 14 shown in the figures, wherein the cap provides a structure for supporting the water bottle 10 in an upside down, vertical orientation.

The base 16 may be interchanged with other base designs include a base having different numbers, shapes, sizes, and orientations for the pointed structures 56. The base 16 may have an edge 58 extending around a periphery of the base 16. The edge 58 may have different shapes and sizes in other base designs. The edge 58 may provide a self-defense feature such as a pressure point for transferring forces from the water bottle 10 to an object being hit at the edge 58. The edge 58 may extend radially outward further than an outer surface of the bottle body 12.

The materials of the cap 14 and base 16 may have higher strength and wear resistance properties as compared to the materials of the bottle body 12. For example, the cap 14 and base 16 may comprise high strength polymer materials, aluminum, titanium or metal alloy, and the bottle body 12 includes lower strength polymer materials such as water grade polymer or a light weight metal material. In some examples, the cap 14 and base 16 comprise a combination of materials such as, for example, a metal layer encapsulated within or bonded to a high strength polymer material. The cap 14 and base 16 may comprise different material compositions and arrangement of material layers.

The water bottle 10 may be customized not only by the shape and size of the self-defense features of the cap 14 and base 16, but also by the color, materials, weight, and auxiliary features of the cap 14 and base 16. Some example auxiliary features include compartments used for storage and additional self-defense devices such as a mace or pepper spray device, a whistle, or a flash-light.

Referring now to FIGS. 19-22, several example orientations for the water bottle 10 are shown for directing force to an object using the water bottle 10. FIG. 19 shows the water bottle 10 with a user grasping the bottle body 12 with four fingers in the finger grip recesses 32 and a thumb in the thumb grip recess 34. The water bottle 10 is oriented vertically and the user moves the water bottle 10 in a downward direction to contact an object with the base 16. The object is contacted at the pointed structures 56, which act as pressure points to transfer forces from the user, through the water bottle 10, and to the object.

FIG. 20 shows the water bottle 10 rotated upside down and the user grasping the bottle body 12 with four fingers in the finger grip recesses 32, and the thumb positioned along the surface texture 39. The user may move the water bottle downward to contact an object with the cap 14. The pointed end 40 of the cap 14 provides a pressure point for transferring forces from the user, through the water bottle 10, and to the object.

FIG. 21 shows the water bottle 10 oriented generally horizontally with the user grasping the bottle body 12 with four fingers in the finger grip recesses 32 and the thumb in the thumb grip recess 34. The user moves the water bottle 10 forward, in a direction away from the user, to contact the object with the cap 14 using a jabbing motion. The water bottle 10 may, in other arrangements, be rotated 180 degrees so that moving the water bottle 10 in a forward direction contacts the base 16 against the object. The pointed end 40 of the cap 14 (or pointed structure 56 of base if the water bottle 10 is rotated) provides a pressure point for transferring forces from the user, through the water bottle 10, and to the object.

FIG. 22 shows the water bottle 10 rotated with the base 16 arranged upward and the user grasping the bottle body 12 with fingers in the finger grip recesses 32 and the thumb along the surface texture 39. The user may swing the water bottle 10 in a downward direction, similar to swinging a hammer. The edge 58 of the base 16 provides a pressure point for transferring forces from the user, through the water bottle 10, and to the object being hit.

Many other orientations and directions of movement are possible for the water bottle 10 when using the water bottle 10 as a weapon in a self-defense situation or otherwise. The effectiveness of the water bottle as a weapon may be enhanced by filling the water bottle with a substance such as water or other liquid, or a solid object such as food, sand or rocks. The substance added into the body cavity 30 of the water bottle 10 increases the weight of the water bottle, which increases the amount of inertia when using the water bottle 10 as a weapon. The increased inertia increases an impact force when contacting the water bottle 10 against an object.

One method of using the water bottle may include removing the cap from bottle body, filling the body cavity with a substance such as a liquid, mounting the cap to the bottle body with a liquid-tight connection, and moving the water bottle to contact a portion of the water bottle against an object to impart a non-lethal, high impact force, to the object.

Another method directed to the water bottle described herein involves assembling the water bottle. The water bottle may be assembled by releasably connecting the cap to the bottle body to create a fluid-tight seal covering an opening into a body cavity of the bottle body. The base is connected to the bottle body at an opposite end from the cap. At least one of base and cap may include at least one self-defense feature such as, for example, a pointed structure or other structure that provides a pressure point for use in striking an object in self-defense or in some way applying a non-lethal force to the object.

Another method relates to customization of the water bottle. After assembling the cap and base to the bottle body, at least one of the cap and base may be replaced with a separate cap and/or base having a different feature. The different feature may include at least one of a different number, size, shape or orientation of self-defense features such as, for example, a pointed structure that provides a pressure point. The different feature may also include, for example, a different weight, color, material or gripping feature. Some alternative configurations involve completely removing the base from the water bottle so that the water bottle includes only the bottle body and cap.

The terms recited in the claims should be given their ordinary and customary meaning as determined by reference to relevant entries (e.g., definition of “plane” as a carpenter's tool would not be relevant to the use of the term “plane” when used to refer to an airplane, etc.) in dictionaries (e.g., widely used general reference dictionaries and/or relevant technical dictionaries), commonly understood meanings by those in the art, etc., with the understanding that the broadest meaning imparted by any one or combination of these sources should be given to the claim terms (e.g., two or more relevant dictionary entries should be combined to provide the broadest meaning of the combination of entries, etc.) subject only to the following exceptions: (a) if a term is used herein in a manner more expansive than its ordinary and customary meaning, the term should be given its ordinary and customary meaning plus the additional expansive meaning, or (b) if a term has been explicitly defined to have a different meaning by reciting the term followed by the phrase “as used herein shall mean” or similar language (e.g., “herein this term means,” “as defined herein,” “for the purposes of this disclosure [the term] shall mean,” etc.). References to specific examples, use of “i.e.,” use of the word “invention,” etc., are not meant to invoke exception (b) or otherwise restrict the scope of the recited claim terms. Other than situations where exception (b) applies, nothing contained herein should be considered a disclaimer or disavowal of claim scope. The subject matter recited in the claims is not coextensive with and should not be interpreted to be coextensive with any particular embodiment, feature, or combination of features shown herein. This is true even if only a single embodiment of the particular feature or combination of features is illustrated and described herein. Thus, the appended claims should be read to be given their broadest interpretation in view of the prior art and the ordinary meaning of the claim terms.

As used herein, spatial or directional terms, such as “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” and the like, relate to the subject matter as it is shown in the drawing figures. However, it is to be understood that the subject matter described herein may assume various alternative orientations and, accordingly, such terms are not to be considered as limiting. Furthermore, as used herein (i.e., in the claims and the specification), articles such as “the,” “a,” and “an” can connote the singular or plural. Also, as used herein, the word “or” when used without a preceding “either” (or other similar language indicating that “or” is unequivocally meant to be exclusive—e.g., only one of x or y, etc.) shall be interpreted to be inclusive (e.g., “x or y” means one or both x or y). Likewise, as used herein, the term “and/or” shall also be interpreted to be inclusive (e.g., “x and/or y” means one or both x or y). In situations where “and/or” or “or” are used as a conjunction for a group of three or more items, the group should be interpreted to include one item alone, all of the items together, or any combination or number of the items. Moreover, terms used in the specification and claims such as have, having, include, and including should be construed to be synonymous with the terms comprise and comprising.

Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers or expressions, such as those expressing dimensions, physical characteristics, etc. used in the specification (other than the claims) are understood as modified in all instances by the term “approximately.” At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the claims, each numerical parameter recited in the specification or claims which is modified by the term “approximately” should at least be construed in light of the number of recited significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Moreover, all ranges disclosed herein are to be understood to encompass and provide support for claims that recite any and all subranges or any and all individual values subsumed therein. For example, a stated range of 1 to 10 should be considered to include and provide support for claims that recite any and all subranges or individual values that are between and/or inclusive of the minimum value of 1 and the maximum value of 10; that is, all subranges beginning with a minimum value of 1 or more and ending with a maximum value of 10 or less (e.g., 5.5 to 10, 2.34 to 3.56, and so forth) or any values from 1 to 10 (e.g., 3, 5.8, 9.9994, and so forth). 

What is claimed is:
 1. A water bottle, comprising: a bottle body having a wall structure extending from a bottom end to a top end, the top end including an opening; a grasping portion configured for holding the water bottle; a cap configured to releasably connect to the top end of the bottle body to close the opening with a fluid-tight seal; a base positioned at the bottom end of the bottle body; wherein at least one of the cap and the base includes at least one pointed structure defining at least one self-defense feature of the water bottle.
 2. The water bottle of claim 1 wherein the cap includes a conical shaped portion defining the at least one pointed structure.
 3. The water bottle of claim 1 wherein the base includes at least three pointed structures.
 4. The water bottle of claim 1 wherein the base is removable from the bottle body.
 5. The water bottle of claim 1 wherein the base is connected to the bottle body with a snap-fit connection.
 6. The water bottle of claim 1 wherein the cap and base comprise a polymer material having a higher strength property than a polymer material of the bottle body.
 7. The water bottle of claim 1 wherein the bottle body comprises four finger recesses and one thumb recess, the finger recesses being positioned on an opposite side of the bottle body from the thumb recess.
 8. The water bottle of claim 1 wherein the cap connects to the bottle body with a threaded connection.
 9. The water bottle of claim 1 wherein the base includes an edge that extends radially outward further than an outer surface of the bottle body and provides another bottom pressure point.
 10. The water bottle of claim 1 wherein the grasping portion includes a plurality of finger grip recesses and at least one thumb grip recess formed in an outer surface of the bottle body.
 11. A water bottle weapon, comprising: a bottle body having a liquid cavity, a bottom end, a top end, and an opening into the liquid cavity at the top end; a cap releasable connected to the bottle body to close the opening, the cap having at least one first weapon feature; a base releasably connected to the bottom end of the bottle body, the base having at least one second weapon feature.
 12. The water bottle weapon of claim 11 wherein the base includes a plurality of second weapon features.
 13. The water bottle weapon of claim 12 wherein the plurality of second weapon features support the bottle body in an upright position.
 14. The water bottle weapon of claim 11 wherein the base is removably connected to the bottle body.
 15. The water bottle weapon of claim 11 wherein the cap and base comprise different materials from those materials of the bottle body.
 16. The water bottle weapon of claim 11 further comprising a plurality of finger grips formed in the bottle body on a first side thereof and at least one thumb grip formed in the bottle body on a second side thereof, which is opposite the first side.
 17. A method of assembling a water bottle, comprising: providing a bottle body, a cap, and a base, the bottle body having a liquid cavity, a bottom end, a top end, and an opening into the liquid cavity at the top end, at least one of the cap and the base having at least one pointed portion; releasably connecting the cap to the top end of the bottle body to close the opening with a liquid-tight seal; connecting the base to the bottom end of the bottle body; wherein the at least one pointed portion is exposed for contact to provide the water bottle with at least one self defense feature.
 18. The method of claim 17 wherein the base is replaceable with another base that has a different number of the at least one bottom pointed portion.
 19. The method of claim 17 wherein connecting the base includes providing a snap-fit connection between the base and the bottle body.
 20. The method of claim 17 further comprising filling the liquid cavity before releasably connecting the cap to increase a potential impact force provided by the water bottle when used as a self-defense weapon. 